1. Field of Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to a dasher board system. Illustrative embodiments of the invention relate to a method and apparatus for providing a dasher board system having a flexible track.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need for a more flexible glass system has been known for some time in the National Hockey League (NHL). During an average season, there are numerous injuries caused when hockey players contact the dasher boards that surround an ice rink. Many of these injuries are shoulder related and are primarily caused by impacting a glass portion of the dasher board assembly.
The dasher boards, which are used to form the boundary around the rinks, are designed to be secure and stable in order to withstand an impact by the players skating or being pushed into the boards during the course of a game. Concerns have been raised, however, about the potentially harmful effects of the stiffness or lack of flexibility of the boards. That is, when a player hits the boards, there exists a potential for injury. If the boards are very stiff, the risk of injury increases. Due to the high speeds obtained by hockey players and their aggressive playing style, the stiffness of the dasher board systems is an issue that needs to be addressed.
There are six main components to a typical dasher board system, each of which can affect how stiff the boards feel to the players. These components are the dasher board, the ice retainer, the anchoring system, the connecting system, the shielding, and the shield mounting system.
The shielding is normally made of tempered glass or acrylic. The acrylic is more flexible than the glass and, at half the weight, it moves more easily when hit and is easier to handle when preparing the ice rink. However, acrylic is more apt to be marked and, therefore, becomes harder to see through. The acrylic material also requires firmer securing than glass when mounted or it will bend when hit and be pushed out of its supports.
In new xe2x80x9csupportlessxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cseamlessxe2x80x9d (real glass) style board systems, the shields are held in a slot or U-channel in the top of the boards. A hypothetical example of a slotted structure for supporting a shield is shown in FIG. 1, where a shield 18 is provided in a U-channel 16 of a track 14. The track 14 is provided with a weld (w) to connect it with a track support plate 24, and a plurality of track support plates 24 are intermittently positioned along the length to the track 14. The track support plate 24 is also provided with welds (wxe2x80x2) to connect it to a front support member 20 and a rear support member 22, to form a rigid track support system 25. The track support system 25 is then vertically supported by a leg (not shown) that extends from a bottom of the track support system 25 to a floor area. The front support member 20 is connected to a main wall portion 12, which faces the ice.
Many arenas have introduced seamless glass systems to reduce a xe2x80x9cbad bounce,xe2x80x9d which is caused when a puck strikes the upright supports used in acrylic systems. The seamless glass also provides for better fan visibility. However, the use of seamless glass increases the risk of injury because the glass is thicker and heavier than acrylic.
Attempts have been made in the past few years to create a seamless system whereby dasher walls move on impact, absorbing some of the shock while maintaining the superior visibility of seamless glass. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,217 discloses a dasher board assembly that is provided with rotational flexibility such that the entire assembly will pivot about a point above the ice. The ""217 patent was invented by Johnston et al., issued on Dec. 21, 1999, and is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
However, many prior attempts at making a movable dasher board were unsuccessful because of the way the dasher board walls are often connected to the ice dams beneath them. Loose connections result in walls that do not return to their correct positions after an impact, leading to bad bounces and rinks that do not meet the specifications as set forth by the NHL rules. There is also a risk of injury to the players due to misaligned walls. However, walls that are tightened enough to rigidly retain their positions do not flex at all when struck, and can lead to injuries.
In systems that use the vertical supports, it is also known to mount shields between particular vertical supports that offer some movement to the shielding. The supports themselves may be flexible and designed to move in a mounting hole and support bracket. Also, the shielding may be held in a gasket that offers some movement, so that the shield may move relative to the boards. Further, the ""217 patent discloses a shielding panel that is provided with rotational flexibility such that the shielding panel and its support struts, in a supported assembly, will pivot about a point within the dasher board or be pushed substantially parallel with and away from the ice. However, such a system is an integral part of an original dasher board system and is not taught to be used as a secondary modification of a pre-existing dasher board assembly.
Illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention overcome the disadvantages described above and other disadvantages. Also, the present invention is not required to overcome the disadvantages described above and the other disadvantages, and an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention may not overcome any of the disadvantages.
An illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention provides a track having a channel that is operative to hold a shielding panel. A front support and a rear support are provided on respective sides of the track. A pivot member is disposed below the front support and the rear support. The pivot member has portions which occupy respective areas aligned beneath the front support and rear support. The pivot member also has a portion that extends upwardly between respective sides of the front support and rear support and is secured to the track. An elastic member is positioned between the track and the rear support. The elastic member is operative to bias the track and the shielding panel in an upright position. The elastic member is also compressible by the track when the shielding panel is subjected to a lateral force. A spacer is fixed to a bottom portion of the rear support so as to interpose between the rear support member and the pivot member, such that the pivot member is in slidable contact with the spacer upon compression of the elastic member. The spacer may also act to limit lateral movement of the pivot member.
Another illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible dasher board assembly having a rear support, a track for holding a shielding panel, and pivoting means. The pivoting means is positioned beneath the rear support member and extends outwardly toward the rink such that motion of the pivoting means is limited by a downwardly facing side of the rear support when the shielding member is subjected to a lateral force. A biasing means is positioned between an outer wall of the track and an inner wall of the rear support for biasing the track and the shielding panel in an upright position when the shielding panel is not subjected to the lateral force. The biasing means is also compressible by the track when the shielding panel is subjected to the lateral force.
Another illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible dasher board assembly having an extension arm which is secured to a track, the extension arm has an end portion that is extended downwardly. A first elastic member is connected to the track and the rear support. A second elastic member is connected to the end portion of the extension arm and a front wall. The first and second elastic members allow for the extension arm to move laterally toward and away from the front wall.
An even further illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible dasher board assembly having a support plate connecting a front wall and a rear beam. A pivot arm is secured to a track and has an end portion that is extended downwardly. The end portion of the pivot arm is in contact with the support plate such that the support plate provides a pivot point for the pivot arm. Alternately, the support plate may rest on a bracket used to secure the front wall to an ice dam.
Yet another illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention provides a method of modifying an existing dasher board system to include a movable track for holding a shielding panel, where the movable track is positioned between a front support member and a rear support member. The method includes releasing the track from its initial position by cutting it into segments. A pivot member is attached to a bottom of the track so that the pivot member extends between the front and rear support members and also extends underneath the front and rear support members. A spacer is disposed on an underside of the rear support member such that a portion of the pivot member is in contact with the spacer and another portion of the pivot member is operative to move to a space underneath the front support member, when a force is applied to the shielding panel. Also included in the method is the positioning of elastic members between the track and the rear support member.